Apparatus for forming terminals and attaching same to wires



July 20, 1954 R. P. HlPPLE 2,684,423

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME T0 WIRES Filed lay 5, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVE/V7"o u BOY f/IPPLE @444 MW 13 M 4 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. P. HIPPLE s FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND. ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES APPARATU July 20, 1954 Filed May 5, i951 hvwsn/roe oY F? MPPLE- & #14: Mag/Mi), &4) 47-7- 6 /\/&Y$

July 20, 1954 2,684,423

R. P. HIPPLE APPARA FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ACHING SAME TO WIRES Filed May 5, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 O g) IN VEN TOR. {5 8m AM/AQLE- Arraeuz-xs y 0, 1954 R. P. HIPPLE 2,684,423

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING ES Filed May 5, 1951 SAME TO WIR 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,gefekizs'g 5 INVENTOR. A ///PPL&-

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APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES Filed May 5, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 47 TOE/V5 5 y 0, 1954 R. p. HIPPLE 2,684,423

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 5. 1951 July 20, 1954 R. HIPPLE APPARATUS FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed May 5, 1951 INVENTOR. Ear /fl p:-

,ArroeNEY Patented July 20, 1954 APPARATUS FOR FORMING TERMINALS AND ATTACHING SAME TO WIRES Roy P. Hipple, Warren, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application May 5, 1951, Serial No. 224,753

Claims. 1

This invention relates to the art of manufacturing terminals from strip sheet metal and for mechanically and electrically connecting them with a wire.

My copending application Serial No. 175,093, filed July 21, 1950, discloses apparatus by which a strip of sheet metal is progressively shaped to form a. terminal having pairs of wings which are adapted to be bent to grip, respectively, the insulation of the wire and the bared cored portion thereof. This apparatus includes means for severing the terminal from the strip fed by the press and means for guiding the severed terminal to a station where the terminal is attached to a wire by bending the wings and the bared portion of the wire is welded to the terminal.

An object of the present invention is to provide modifications of the apparatus shown in my copending application in order that other forms of terminals may be made and attached to wires.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of lower and upper punch and die assemblies embodying one form of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the upper die assembly shown in Fig. '1.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the operations progressively performed upon a sheet metal strip to produce a terminal and the attachment of the terminal to a wire.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower die assembly.

Figs. 6 and 7 are views, respectively, in the directions of arrows 6 and 'l of Fig. 5, showing end views of the stripper plate which is fastened to lower die assembly.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing separation of the die assemblies.

Figs. 9 through 13 are, respectively, sectional views on the lines 99 through l3l3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional View of lower and upper punch and die assemblies embodying a modified form of the invention. Fig. 14A is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 14.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view on line |5-|5 of i 14.

Fig. 16 is a bottom view of the upper die assembly shown in Fig. 14.

Fig. 1'7 is a view showing the progressive shaping of a sheet metal strip to form a terminal and the attachment of the terminal to a wire.

Fig. 18 is a plan view of the lower die assembly of Fig. 14.

Figs. 18A and 18B are, respectively, views in the directions or arrows 18A and l8B of Fig. 18.

Fig. 19 is a plan view of a sub-assembly included in the lower die of Fig. 1.

Fig. 20 is a plan view of a sub-assembly included in the lower die of Fig. 14.

Figs. 21, 22 and 23 are, respectively, sectional views on lines 2l-2i, 2222 and 23-423 of Fig. 14.

teferring to Fig. 1, the lower die assembly 3%, which is adapted to be attached to the bed of a punch press not shown, comprises a shoe 3i upon which a die block holder is mounted. I'his die block holder comprises blocks 32 and 33 (Fig. 19) which are joined by screws 33. Blocks 32 and 33 retain between them a die block having a hole 36, a die block 37 and a punch 38 having a hole 39 and supported between blocks l9 and 41 whose upper surfaces are downwardly inclined from punch 38 so that metal cuttings will gravitate therealong and upon the similarly inclined surfaces &2 and 43 of blocks 3?. and

Plates 44 and 45 supported by blocks and 33 support a bridge 4i? attached to these biocirs by screws 4?. Blocks 32 and 33 support a die block 18 having a punch receiving notch 32%, a spacer block 50, a spacer block 5| providing a notch 52 for receiving a welding electrode 53, crimping anvils 54 and 55 and wire clamping member 56.

A stripper plate 66 (Fig. 5) is secured to blocks 32 and 33 by locating dowels 6i and screws received, respectively, by holes rim and tapped holes 620 of blocks 32 and 33 (Fig. 19) As shown in Fig. 6, plate provides recesses 64 and 35, respectively, receiving stock guide inserts 6t and 61 secured to plate 66 by screws 68 passing through slots 69 in plate 60 and threadedly engaging the inserts 66 and 61. The slots 6%] provide for adjustment of the spacing of inserts 66 and 61 so as to provide a channel of the correct width for receiving a stock strip (Fig. 4). Plate 60 has a punch receiving hole '10 aligned with punch receiving hole 36 of die block (Fig. 19) and a punch receiving hole ll aligned with hole 39 (Fig. 19) and a punch receiving slot 12 aligned with slot 49 (Fig. 19)

As shown in Fig. 9, plate 60 provides a strip receiving channel shown also in Fig. 5, channels 16 for receiving the wings I82, I83 (Fig. 4) of the terminal, when bent upwardly, and a notch I! which, as shown in Fig. 10, receives a rib I3 integral with a plate 79 located by the shanks oi screws 80 threaded into plate 66 and surrounded by springs BI which urge the plate I9 downwardly. Plate 66 provides a recess 82 for receiving a guide insert 83 retained in laterally adjusted position by screws 84 (Fig. '7) threadedly received by insert 83 and passing through slots 85 in plate 60.

Referring to Fig. 8, blocks 32 and 33 guide a vertically movable terminal wing yoke 90 having a notch 9! which receives the bridge #6. Die iii has a shank 52 providing a notch 23 for receiving an end of a rocker arm 9 pivoted. on a dowel 95 supported by a block 96 attached to shoe 3!. Die 9!) is normally held down as shown in Fig. 8, by a spring 91 defined between washers 93 and 99 engaging, respectively, the shoe 3! and nuts I88 threaded on a stud IEiI threadedly engaging the shank Q2. Rocker arm 9 is moved counterclockwise by downward movement of a screw I02 threaded into a bracket Id3 and retained in adjustment by a lock nut I64. Bracket I 33 is attached by screws I95 to punch holder II I of the upper die assembly I I9.

Referring to Fig. 1, the holder of the upper die assembly he has a dovetail rib H2 (Fig. 2) by which attachment is made to the ram of a punch press which supports the assembly H0. Punch holder iII supports a punch plate comprising blocks I I4 and I I5 secured together by screws I I6 and by an end cap block II? which screws II8 attach to blocks I It and 5 I5. Punch plate blocks IIl and H5 are secured to holder III by dowels I I9 and screws I29.

Blocks H4 and H5 retain a bushing I2I (Fig. 3) which receives a punch i22 secured by set screws i23 and located in alignment with hole 1%] of plate iii) and hole 3% in die block 35. Blocks H t and H5 retain dies I25 which cooperate with punch 38 (Fig. 19) and a punch I25 received by hole SI of plate I36 and hole 3d of punch 38. Punch I29 is retained by a screw I28 (Fig. 1) in a block I27 which spaces the dies I25 as shown in Fig. 3.

Punch holder Iii receives a spring retaining bushing I31 which receives a spring I which urges downwardly a pressure pad I32 against shoulders I33 (Fig. 8) provided by blocks I I4 and IE5. Pad I32 has a narrow rib I35 which forces the terminal strip material against the bridge 46 (Fig. 2) when the upper assembly Iii) is in the closed position as shown in Fig. 2. The yoke 95 actuated up by rocker arm 94 then forms wings I82 and I83 up around rib IS i of pressure pad I32. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, blocks I Ill and 5 I5 retain a cutoff punch I35 providing a shear blade I36 received by the hole 72 of plate 69 and by the notch 49 of die block 48.

As shown in Fig. 11, holder III provides an opening I li] for receiving a tubular electrode holder IGI which supports an electrode M2 having a work engaging tip M3. The electrode I42 is received by a notch I44 provided by blocks I I4 and H5. The tip I43 is in alignment with the tip I45 of electrode 53 (Fig. 19) which is supported by a tubular electrode holder I48 (Fig. 1).

The blocks H4 and I15 retain terminal wing crimping plates I5 1 and I which, respectively, cooperate with lower anvils 54 and 55 (Fig. 12). As shown in Fig. 13, the wire clamp 55 is guided for vertical movement by blocks 32 and 33. Spring I48 urges clamp 55 upwardly so that a flange 56a. thereof engages a shoulder I43 of blocks 32 and 33. An upper wire clamping pad I56 is guided for vertical movement by block I I1 4 and is urged downwardly by a spring I5! so that flanges I53 of this pad normally engage shoulders I59 of block Hi. The members 56 and I55 provide interfitting notched portions 561?. and H5611 and cooperate to clamp the wire W (Fig. i) between them at the time it is placed in the apparatus to receive the terminal T. During descent of the upper assembly IIS, clamp I56 engages the wire supported by clamp 56 and forces the latter downwardly to cause a hole iiii thereof to align with a plunger I62 connected by a pin I53 with a lever its pivoted at I65 on a bracket I56. Lever its provides a slot I67 receiving a rod I68 extending through punch holder III and receiving nuts I69 at its upper end and nuts IIIJ (Fig. 4) is fed through the guiding channel provided by the plate 60 in conjunction with plates 32 and 33. Following successive operations of feeding the stri S, the dies cooperate to form progressively first a hole I86 and, at position H, a terminal blank which includes a connecting neck ISI joining it to strip S, the hole E83 and pairs of wings I82 and 33. The apparatus shown in Figs. 2 and 8 bends the wings I82 and I82 upwardly to form the terminal as shown at position t2. The terminal moves to positions t3 and it without change in shape. After the terminal has been moved to position t l, the connecting neck I is removed by punch I35 (Fig. 9) so that the terminal at position it is separated from the supply strip. The terminal is moved to the final position i5 by being pushed by the adjacent terminal as it moves from position t3 to position it. The terminal is guided to final-position t5 by the rib I8 in Fig. '7. While the terminal is at the position 165, a wire W having a bared core core C is placed upon the clamp 56 while the assembly IE0 is in upper position. Descent of assembly no effects crimping the wings I82 against the'core C, crimping the wings I83 upon the insulation of the wire W and the welding of the core C to the flat portion of the terminal T. During movement of the terminal T from position it to position 125, the point 18p, rib 18 (Fig. 10), bears upon the terminal with pressure impressed by springs SI thus providing friction resisting this movement of the terminal. Therefore the terminal is not pushed too far toward the left in Fig. 1.

While the die assembly Iit is up, a bar 290 (Fig. 5) is located above, in Fig. 5, the electrode tip Hi5 and to the right thereof in Fig. 1. Bar 289 is a stop which limits movement of the wire core C into the apparatus when the operator places wire W upon clamp 56 and holds it there during downward movement of the assembly IIiI which is effected in consequence of engagement of the punch press clutch by a suitable control member such as a foot pedal or a lever operated by the free hand of the operator. By means disclosed in my copending application referred to, the stop bar 2% is retracted during downward movement of assembly xi Ill.

Alignment of the upper assembly Iii! relative post 2II attached to the lower assembly and received by guide bushings 2I2 attached to the upper assembly.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. I448 and 20-23, the parts which are similar in function to parts of the form previously described are marked with the same reference numbers with primes afixed. The second form disclosed herein makes from a strip S (Fig. 17) a. terminal T which occupies successively six positions tl-tfi. As shown in Figs. 14A and 20, between blocks 50 and 5|, there is located a block 220 having a beveled surface 22! slanting from the level of upper surface of blocks 22% and 50' to a lower level of the upper surface of block 5|. In moving from position M to position t5, terminal T I moves to a lower level and the hole 180' thereof is substantially aligned with a hole 222 in block 50. A pad 224 supported by upper assembly H moves down and causes a pointed pilot pin 225 to engage the wall of hole [80 and align said hole with hole 222 while a spring 221 urges pin 225 down with yielding pressure. A rib 228 of pad 224 approaches closely to beveled surface 22I of block 220 to block the left movement of the terminal in position t4 so that shifting thereof longitudinally is prevented. In this station the end of the terminal at position t5 is coined as shown in Fig. 14A in order to remove the burr caused by the shearing punch I35 so that the terminal, when attached to wire W at position t6, can be inserted more easily into a terminal receiving socket.

In position t4, the terminal is pressed by rib 18 of bar 79 against blocks 50' and 220. In position t5, the terminal is pressed by rib 18'0, of bar l9a against block 5|. In position t6, the terminal is pressed by rib We of bar l9a against a bridge bar 233 supported by block 5|. In positions t4, t5 and t6, the terminal is pressed edgewise by an insert plate 23| (Figs. 18, 18B and 23) which is notched to provide clearance for pad 224 (Fig. 14) and urged against the terminal by springs 232, the ends of which are retained by sockets in plate 60 and in the plate 23!. Plate 23! is retained in a recess 233 of plate 60 (Fig. 183) by screws 234 (Fig. 18) which pass through slots 235 of plate 69' and which threadedly engage plate 23 i. Thus pressure is applied yieldingly vertically as well as horizontally to the terminal T in positions t4, t5 and t6 to provide a friction-drag which prevents over-travel from these positions.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. For use with a punch press having a fixed bed and a movable ram and means for intermittently feeding strip metal lengthwise, the combination comprising a base assembly adapted for mounting on the press bed and a. head assembly adapted for support by the press ram, said assemblies having cooperating punches and dies which, respectively, are positioned at a plurality of different operating stations means for operating the movable ram to efiect cooperative operation of said punches and dies to shape the strip to progressively form a terminal having a flat portion and a plurality of wings which extend substantially in parallelism from the fiat portion to provide for attachment of the terminal to a wire having a bared core portion extending from the insulated portion of the wire said assemblies having, at the last operating station, means for crimping the wings around the wire and electrodes for welding the core to the terminal, said assemblies also having, at a station in advance of the last station, means for severing the terminal from the strip fed by the press before it is secured to the wire, said severed terminals being pushed to the last operating station by movement of the metal strip and said base assembly having means for guiding the severed terminals as they are moved to the last operating station and for maintaining the said terminals in proper location at said last operating station, said last-named means including a rib received between the wings of the terminal and engaging the flat portion thereof; and spring means urging the rib toward the terminal.

2. For use with a punch press having a fixed bed and a movable ram and means for intermittently feeding strip metal lengthwise, the combination comprising a base assembly adapted for mounting on the press bed and a head assembly adapted for support by the press ram, said assemblies having cooperating punches and dies which, respectively, are positioned at a plurality of different operating stations means for operating the movable ram to effect cooperative operation of said punches and dies to shape the strip to progressively form .a terminal having a flat portion and a plurality of wings which extend substantially in parallelism from the flat portion to provide for attachment of the terminal to a wire having a bared core portion extending from the insulated portion of the wire, said assemblies having at the last operating station, means for crimping the wings around the wire and electrodes for welding the core to the terminal, said assemblies also having, at a station in advance of the last station, means for severing the terminal from the strip fed by the press before it is secured to the wire, said severed terminals being pushed to the last operating station by movement of the metal strip and said base assembly having means for guiding the severed terminals as they are moved to the last operating station and for maintaining said terminals in proper location at said last operating station, said last-named means including a rib received between the wings of the severed terminal, said rib being engaged by the severed terminal as it is moved to the next-tolast operating station and so positioned that it continues to engage the severed terminal at the last operating station, and spring means for urging the rib toward the terminals at said lastmentioned stations.

3. The combination defined by claim 2 further characterized by a pointed locating pin carried by the ram assembly for reception by a hole in the flat part of the terminal when at the next to the last station and means for coining one end of said flat part of said terminal when at said next to last station including a bevelled surface provided by the base assembly and a projection on the ram for engaging said flat part to force its end against said bevelled surface.

4. The combination defined by claim 2 further characterized by a base assembly which provides for support of the severed terminal after it is moved past the severing station at the same elevation as that of the terminal remaining attached to the strip metal and which has means for supporting the severed terminals at a lower level at the last two operating stations, and further characterized by a second rib received between the wings of the terminal at the station following the severing station and spring means for urging said second rib against said terminal.

5. The combination defined by claim 2 further characterized by a base assembly which provides for support of the severed terminal after it is moved past the severing station at the same elevation as that of the terminal remaining attached to the strip metal and which has means for supporting the severed terminals at a lower level at the last two operating stations, and further characterized by a second rib received between the wings of the terminal at the station following the severing station and spring means for urging said second rib against said terminal and further characterized by a pointed locating pin carried by the ram assembly for reception by a hole in the flat part of the terminal when at the next to the last station and means for coining one end of said flat part of said terminal when at said last-mentioned station including a bevelled surface provided by the base assembly and a projection on the ram for engaging said flat part to force its end against said bevelled surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,248,576 Trood Dec. 4, 1917 1,504,612 Feaster Aug. 12, 1924 1,873,125 Holmes etal Aug. 23, 1932 1,959,150 Basch et al May 15, 1934 2,169,802 Keller Aug. 15, 1939 2,225,739 Elliott Dec. 24, 1940 2,278,300 Barter et a1 Mar. 31, 1942 2,339,884 Schlumpf Jan. 25, 1944 2,494,137 Martines Jan. 10, 1950 

